The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
“The president promised that he would attend the inauguration of whomever won the election,” Andrew Bates, senior deputy press secretary at the White House, said in a statement, obtained by Reuters. “He and the first lady are going to honor that promise and attend the inauguration.”
Joe Biden had said he would attend the January inauguration, whether or not it was Vice President Kamala Harris or Trump who won, despite the alarmist campaign rhetoric he used against the Republican nominee.
After the chaos of the 2020 election, which Trump still maintains was stolen, and the Jan. 6 riot, Trump didn’t attend Biden’s inauguration. His last tweet before being banned from then-Twitter was his announcement that he wouldn’t be attending.
“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” he tweeted on Jan. 8, 2021.
Biden responded harshly at the time, telling reporters that his absence would be a “good thing” and “one of the few things he and I have ever agreed on”.
“He exceeded even my worst notions about him,” he said. “He’s been an embarrassment to the country, embarrassed us around the world. He’s not worthy to hold that office.”
Four years later, Biden’s attitude is different, stressing his commitment to a smooth transition.
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“We’re looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need, and we’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today,” Biden said during Trump’s visit to the White House earlier this month. “Welcome back.”
Trump’s decision not to attend his successor’s nomination was the first such occurrence in over 150 years. Barack and Michelle Obama attended Trump’s first inauguration in 2016.